Trump Announces New Sanctions

The Trump administration announced a round of new sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ballistic missile program and paramilitary force Tuesday — one day after certifying Iran’s technical compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.

The U.S. Department of State and the Department of Treasury announced the sanctions simultaneously. State Department spokesman Heather Naurt explained that the new sanctions would target “18 entities and individuals supporting Iran’s ballistic missile program and for supporting Iran’s military procurement or Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as an Iran-based transnational criminal organization and associated persons.”

Nauert also noted that the U.S. is undergoing [a] complete review of its regional strategy towards Iran, something President Donald Trump reportedly demanded in exchange for certifying Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal.

“During the course of this review, the United States will continue to aggressively counter Iran’s malign activities in the region,” Nauert declared, but conceded in the announcement that during the review the U.S. “will continue to comply with its commitments” under the nuclear agreement.